Malaysia to scrap mandatory death penalty, giving judges sentencing discretion
- Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday
- Critics say Malaysia needs to abolish all executions so that clemency calls for citizens on death row in Singapore and elsewhere will be taken seriously
Malaysia’s government on Friday announced it will abolish the mandatory death sentence, four years after the Southeast Asian nation imposed a moratorium on executions.
Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, following a briefing on the findings of a study by an expert committee led by former chief justice Richard Malanjum.
The decision means courts will be granted discretionary powers when it comes to penalties for 12 offences that currently prescribe mandatory execution, although it remains unclear how soon the changes will take effect.
Wan Junaidi said the cabinet also agreed to conduct further studies on replacement penalties for the 12 offences, which include drug trafficking, and 22 other crimes that prescribe death sentences at the court’s discretion.
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“This is a significant move to ensure amendments to the relevant Acts take into consideration the principles of proportionality and constitutionality of whatever proposals are put forward by the government in future,” he said in a statement.